


Circus Secrets

by MandolinDoodler



Series: Danny/Robin Brother AU [2]
Category: Danny Phantom, Justice League, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Brother AU, Brotherly Love, Sequel to Trapeze Brothers, revelation fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-08-25
Packaged: 2018-04-17 05:35:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4654308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandolinDoodler/pseuds/MandolinDoodler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If there was anyone in the world that was going to figure out their secrets it was going to be each other. They were brothers, after all.</p>
<p>Sequel to "Trapeze Brothers"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Revelation

**Author's Note:**

> Transferred from FF.net
> 
> Background info:  
> This happens in a world where large groups of people are mysteriously disappearing (similar to one of my other stories, "Humming" that is on FF.net)

**Danny’s POV**

I float through the eerily quiet circus grounds, my acidic green eyes slowly scanning the aisles of colorful tents. A soft breeze brings with it the stale smell of elephant ears and popcorn that’s been sitting in the unused stand for far too many days. The only sounds filling the area are the rustle of tree branches and the creaking of aged train cars. For the first time in eight years, The Haly Circus is lifeless.

This morning Jazz turned the news on while we were eating breakfast, as usual, and imagine my surprise when a story came on saying that the place I grew up in has mysteriously vanished. Er, correction: the people I grew up with have vanished. The actual circus is still set up in Georgia, one of the locations of their summer tour this year. And if I didn’t have enough reason to care as is, Dick and I were planning to visit our circus in a few weeks when they were going to be near Amity Park. That’s about the same time I was planning on telling Sam and Tucker about my origins.

But, Fate seems to have a different plan. Now I’m investigating the area in hopes of finding any clues to who’s behind this massive kidnapping. Most of the media goons are gone and the police have done their own scans of the circus, so it’s clear for me to do my own rounds. Unfortunately that means it’s clear for other superheroes to do their rounds as well. I’ve been dodging the colorfully dressed, superpowered beings all afternoon. Honestly, I don’t know what they’ll do if they find me, but with my less than stellar reputation in Amity their reactions might not be pleasant.

With a start, my eyes land on The Flash at the end of the tent aisle staring right at me with curious eyes. I hastily turn invisible and bolt down the aisle to my left. Not a moment later, I hear the whoosh of the speedster launching himself to my previous location and searching the air around it with tentative hands. Smirking, I turn around just in time to stop from crashing into the endless line of train cars. A relieved breath escapes me as I listen to the fading whoosh of Flash leaving, probably to tell Batman of my presence here.

Glad that my face isn’t smashed in and the other superhero is off my trail for a while, I focus my attention to the withering paint of the train car I’m floating in front of. I push away from the faded surface and my eyes zero in on tiny tick marks towards the bottom of the car with tiny writing scribbled next to each mark. Curiosity piquing, I come closer to the divots.

Even with the paint chipping around the markered writing, most of the words are still legible. “Danny, Dick, Danny, Dick.” By each name there is a month and year scribbled next to it, steadily increasing until reaching 2006, a few days before the death of John and Mary Grayson. Gasping, I back up and look at the artistically painted “Flying Graysons” on the side of the train car.

Taking a minute to make sure no superheroes are near to sense my presence, I phase into the spacious car and let my invisibility drop. A nostalgic chuckle echoes in the room as I take in the place I spent countless nights in. In one corner, there’s the large mattress my parents slept on, the sheets still neatly tucked around the sides. Next to that’s where dad hung two hammocks for Dick and I. I remember swinging in those during the long days stuck on the travelling train, my brother and I finding endless ways to entertain ourselves on those trips.

Tucked away on the other end of the car are the trunks that guarded our belongings while we were out. All along the walls are posters from hundreds of shows across the country, detailing the long history the Grayson family had with The Haly Circus. And in the final corner is the dressing area with a few outfits still hanging from the decorative screen and reflecting in a long mirror attached to the wall.

Not for the first time, I wonder what it would have been like to stay in the circus. What if we’d fought harder to stay or Social Services let one of the other performers adopt us? What if I had actually run back here all those days when I was feeling especially abandoned and out of place, wishing to go back to my old life? I can’t think about that, though. I have an awesome life, now -maybe not the one I asked for, but great all the same.

A voice outside the car brings my attention to the wide sliding door behind me. Blinking into invisibility, I fly to the corner with the mirror and wait to see if any superheroes are going to come in here. A couple minutes pass by before I hear what sounds like several superheroes bolting away at once. Relaxing a bit, I almost come back to the visible plane, but the budging of the large sliding door makes me dart back behind the dressing screen. It takes a couple more tugs before the intruder gets the door open, but eventually the rusty hinges give away and the panel swoops open with a screech and clang at the end.

Nervously, I stay behind the screen in case it’s some telepathic hero that might see me despite my invisibility, and prepare my own immature telekinesis to scare off the intruder if he or she doesn’t leave soon. I hardly feel comfortable knowing other members of The Haly Circus might have come in here, so knowing a complete stranger might be scrounging around my once-home especially doesn’t settle well with me.

Strangely, the intruder isn’t moving. There was a quick hitch of breath when he/she came in and the screeching clang of the door closing again, but other than that no movement. Curious, I slowly peek my head out. Beholding the tiny abode is one of the last people I would have guessed would be here: Robin the Boy Wonder. What’s weirder is he still hasn’t moved an inch; he’s just staring at the bits of furniture and countless posters decorating the train car. It almost looks like he’s searching for clues, but there’s something wrong with his expression.

All day I’ve been watching superheroes inspect every square centimeter of this circus and their eyes are full of determination or curiosity. But Robin looks like he’s visiting an old home...oh. That makes more sense than I’d like to admit. Even if he wasn’t my brother, I could at least recognize that look he’s wearing; that longing on his masked face is the same as the one that’s been on my near identical face since I got here.

Not taking my eyes from Dick, I float down until I’m sitting only inches above the creaky floorboards. Normally I’d keep information like this to myself like I did when I found out Valerie is the Red Huntress, and let the secret holder tell me his identity himself. But, this is a very different situation. I’m dealing with my own brother, someone who, despite missing from my life for seven years, I shouldn’t keep secrets from. Does that mean it’s time to tell him my secret? It’d make it easier to tell him I know his secret…

Lost in my musings, I don’t notice Dick getting closer as he wanders over to the mirror and glances over the simple costumes hanging around it. His gloved hands run over the spandex of one costume that looks similar to his Robin attire. For the slightest moment, I think it might be a good time for a heart to heart with my big brother about our superhero lives and what’s really gone on in the last seven years. That moment of thought is swiftly pushed to the forgotten part of my mind, though, and replaced with darker tendrils of ways I can now mess with my dear brother now that it’s only us in here, and I need to tell him my secret anyways.

***

**Dick’s POV**

My fingers gently run over the fabric of the costume hanging by the mirror in the train car I grew up in. Part of me wishes Danny was with me right now along with the rest of the circus members. Sometimes I even wish Bruce had decided to bring Danny with us when we left the circus those eight years ago. We could be solving crimes together and saving the day. But it’s better Danny went with the Fentons; he’s safer there, out of the superhero business.

Letting out a long breath, my eyebrow raises as I look at the mirror where a fresh layer of frost has appeared. Running through a list of ice powered heroes and villains, I narrow my eyes and lean into the mirror in hopes to pick out the patterning on the ice; sometimes the patterns are the only difference between one person’s ice powers over another’s. As I get closer, writing creeps into the frost like a kid dragging his finger through a foggy surface.

No masks in the house, Dick

Before I can think too much on the message, my mask disappears from my face to hover in front of me. I glare are the area around the accessory hoping to catch the eye of the being that apparently knows my secret identity. With years of practiced reflexes, I shoot my hand out to grab my mask back only to have my fingers pass right through it. Growing frustrated, I try again. This time the mask darts just out of my grasp. I growl at the seemingly empty air, again going through my internal list of villains and heroes with this new telekinetic power in mind.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to think when my mask is suddenly bouncing around my head like it’s mocking me. I resist the urge to grab at it and try to focus back on figuring out who’s in here with me, so I can kick his or her butt.

“Someone looks like he has a bit of a temper as ‘Robin,’” an echoey voice resonates through the train car. Beyond the echo, the voice sounds oddly familiar. I turn around in hopes of catching a glimpse of my tormentor, but the car is still empty. “So is Batman the one I can blame for not getting to see you for seven years?”

Seven years? Who haven’t I seen in seven...years. That can’t be right. Danny’s the only… and there’s no way… how is he doing this? I desperately, desperately hope he didn’t fall in anything radioactive or get bitten by some extraterrestrial being. That’s just a pain to deal with.

Suddenly, Danny Phantom is floating next to me holding my mask in a white gloved hand and smirking playfully. We stare at each other, him seemingly waiting for me to make the first move and me still processing. My first thought is that my brother managed to get himself killed while I was gone and I internally curse Bruce for keeping me away from Danny for so long. My second thought drifts to some articles I found when doing some ghost research after my reunion with my brother. A couple scientists proposed the idea that human-ghost hybrids could exist among us, able to take on living and dead forms.

It takes another minute of staring and me organizing my thoughts before I take a chance and press a pressure point in Phantom’s abdomen. In a flash of light and a yelp, Danny is sprawled onto the floor at my feet. He flounders there a few seconds, then looks up at me with disbelief. Assured he is indeed my brother, I let down my guard and smirk at him.

“How did you…?” Danny scans himself again, then turns back to me, “you can’t just poke someone and make them transform. That doesn’t make sense!” His hands flail around as he’s talking and I can’t help but chuckle at how flustered he is.

“I didn’t want to waste time trying to get you to confirm my suspicions, so I went for the fast route. You’d be amazed what pressure points can do.” I stretch my hand to him to help him up and he gladly takes it. While he’s busy brushing dust off his clothes, I take the opportunity to snatch my mask back. But, apparently, Danny’s reflexes have improved with the addition of ghost powers and he manages to make the item intangible before I can get a grip on it. He smirks at me mockingly.

“Ah, ah, ah. You’re not allowed to wear this here.”

Normally, I like to keep up my ‘hard core’ image while in my superhero persona. It ensures people stay respectful around me or at least have enough fear to not treat me like a child. Danny is an exception, though. He’s the only person that I will ever act free and casual around, because he’s the only person that’s ever truly seen me that way. That is why my I feel no shame for tackling him after he denied me my mask.

Danny yells as we fall to the ground with a thud that shakes the whole train car. It doesn’t take long for us to gather our bearings and the fight for my mask starts up. Soon we’re rolling across the floor of the car, not caring about the racket it’s probably causing outside; all I’m focused on is winning against my brother. I grab Danny’s wrists and pin them above his head with a victorious smirk. “You’re forgetting I’m the big brother, Danny. I always have the upper hand.”

He struggles under me, trying to twist his arms free, but I know I have more experience in fights like these than him. He can struggle all day if he wants, he’ll never get out. Eventually, he stops and sends a half-hearted glare my way. It only lasts a couple seconds before his eyes light up with an idea and my smirk slowly slips away, just now remembering his ghost powers. Danny’s body goes translucent and he rolls away with a boisterous laugh. “Yeah, well, the little brother can do something big brother can’t!”

My fists clench in frustration. He wants to play that way? Fine by me. I grab a special birdarang from my belt, my glare becoming playful. While Danny’s distracted with his victory dance, I press a button on my tool and toss it towards my brother’s legs. The birdarang splits in half midair, a sturdy string keeping the halves connected as they begin to twirl in the air. Before Danny can notice the projectile and go intangible, the string connects to his legs, sending the halves of the tool winding around the appendages. Caught off guard, he tumbles to the floor causing another tremor through the train car.

The mask goes flying from his hand and I catch it just as it’s about to hit the wood floor. My smirk back, I put my mask in its rightful place on my face, glancing to Danny pouting on the ground like a little kid. I walk over and crouch down next to him, ruffling his hair, “like I said: big brothers always have the upper hand.”

Danny’s expression suddenly oozes determination as he says, “no way. You are not getting away that easily.” In an instant we’re wrestling again, Danny making grabs for my mask. I’m losing track of which way’s up or where we are in the train car, but I do know that we’re yelling at each other (in the most loving, brotherly way possible) and there are a ton of creaks echoing through the car. I nearly forget about the dozens of superheroes searching the circus around us. That is until Danny and I take a fall, Danny on top of me, in front of the unexpectedly open door.

There, Batman, Flash, and a few other superheroes that must have heard the commotion are staring down at us. Half of them look ready for battle, their weapons poised for attack and battle cries threatening to come out, as if they were expecting me to be battling to the death. I look up at Batman, glad I was able to get my mask back from my brother (my mentor would never let me live it down if I didn’t have my mask on, even in front of fellow superheroes), and search my brain for some way to explain what was happening, but Danny doesn’t give me the chance to speak.

“Batman, right?” The Dark Knight nods and only I can make out the curiosity behind his mask. I’ve only talked a little about Danny around my mentor, especially since we only saw each other a couple times a year, now, and he hasn’t actually met my brother. Although, I’m sure he’s already got it figured out by now or at least done his research and recognizes him.

Danny adjusts his position on me so his arms are crossed on my shoulders, making me squirm at the discomfort as he continues to Batman, “you’re a jerk.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen my mentor so surprised.


	2. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Transferred from FF.net
> 
> Listen to "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World before or while you read this

I can’t believe they’ve been gone for eight years and I’m just now thinking of this possibility. Since I was little I could see and talk to spirits (which are in fact different from ghosts, mind you) and the circus is a magnet for these beings. It would only make sense my parents’ spirits would be here considering the premise of their murder.

All I can think about is seeing them, talking to them, again as I dash through the circus to find Robin. After initially being caught by Batman wrestling in the train car, the Dark Knight has been keeping a close eye on my brother and trying to keep me out of the circus so I won’t mess up their investigation. Every time the hero kicks me out I’ve found a way back in -ghost powers have been especially advantageous in this situation.

It’s kept me pretty occupied the entire day, so I wasn’t thinking too much about the memories this circus has. That is, until the sun began sinking in the sky and shadows stretched across the circus grounds to reveal the spirits that have attached themselves to this place. At first I brushed them off, forgetting that I’m probably one of a few in the crowd of superheroes gathered here that can see the trapped beings let alone talk to them. When I did come to this realization, it clicked in my mind that said spirits could be useful in the investigation.

They would know what happened to the members of the circus or at least have seen who is behind the disappearance, right? So I went around talking to the spirits and ignoring the strange looks I got from the other heroes for seemingly talking to empty space (‘cause I knew it wasn’t because I found my way back in, again). It was after talking to the fifth spirit that I saw spirits lurking in the train cars and the thought hit me: my parents were murdered in this circus. If anyone’s spirits are going to be here it’s theirs and Dick and I will be able to see them! And where else would they be but the train car we used to live in?

I can feel my grin widen when I see Robin gathered at the entrance of the circus with his team and some of the other heroes, all of them going over any findings that might help the investigation before leaving for the night. Without hesitation or explanation, I grab his wrist and sprint back to the other side of the circus where the train cars are. The yells of the heroes behind us mean nothing to me compared to the slim chance of Dick and I seeing our parents again.

Already a few of the costumed individuals have caught up to us and are trying to stop me, but I just phase right through them not caring one bit that now they know I have powers or that they may think I’m a danger to my own brother. My thoughts are stuck on seeing my parents again, just one more time and I’ll be satisfied for the rest of my life. I just need to see their faces, hear them say I love you and hug me, reassuring me that everything’s okay like parents are supposed to do when people die even if it’s for their own death.

I can see the car now, the door having been closed after Robin and I were removed. With a brush of ghostly power and a swipe of my hand the door is open again with a bang, the flicker of movement inside making my legs work harder. Dick is barely keeping up without tripping, not used to plain running without adding jumps and flips in between steps. The heroes are still after us, probably under the impression I’m kidnapping Robin, but that fact is pushed to the back of my mind because we’re so close.

Suddenly Raven is in front of us, blocking the way with her dark magic and I have to dig my feet into the ground to keep from completely smashing against it. Smile gone, my glossy eyes frantically search past the heroine, landing on the doorway of the train car. It could be my imagination or my frantic mind on overdrive, but I think I see them, Mom and Dad waiting for us, worried about us.

Panting, I ask Dick, “D-do you see them?” Because he’ll be able to see them; they’re our parents and he’s my brother and even though he can’t see all spirits he can still see some and he has to be able to see Mom and Dad, and I have to know if I’m just crazy here or if they’re really there. He stops swatting at the hands that are trying to drag his intangible body away from me and focuses where my sight is still glued. I feel him tense; his mouth hangs open and there’s a tremble in his arms -or is that just me? Either way it snaps me out of my trance just before their images flicker away and I continue with renewed energy my goal to get to them.

Forcing ecto energy into my free hand, I bang it against the dark wall blocking our way. My efforts send slight tremors across the black surface and do little damage to it. I want to use both hands, but letting go of Dick means the other heroes will take him away from me and I can’t bear to lose him right now when we’re so close to getting to our parents. With a frustrated growl, I try with more energy and when that doesn’t work I add my ice powers.

I send a pleading look to my brother, tears ready to spill from my eyes out of frustration and hopelessness. It’s enough to snap Dick into action and he dawns his commander face, the same he no doubt learned from Batman to get people to follow orders, and fixes it on his teammate. “Raven.”

That’s all it takes to weaken the barrier and get the half-demon to actually look at us, see that I’m not just some kid trying to run away with her leader and see that Dick is just as ready to break as I am. The nod she sends him is all the permission I need to break my way through the dark wall and bolt to the door of my old home. Knowing Raven will keep her powers going to keep the elder heroes at bay, I drop my intangibility and Robin and I step onto the edge of the doorway to wait just inside the train car.

For a moment, everything settles. The sound of the heroes melts away, my arms and legs go numb, any warmth that was once in the car has vanished, and all memories of the Fentons dissipate to make room for years in the circus. My entire body is shaking with anticipation as my eyes scan the room, silently begging my parents to reappear. Eight years of not seeing them and it can’t compare to the eight seconds we’ve already waited here just now.

The dark train car is suddenly illuminated by an emerging light from the floor. Up rise two figures and I’m surprised I haven’t run over to them yet, hugging them and telling them how much I’ve missed them and that the Fentons are great but will never compare to the parents that really raised me; that I’ve longed for them every time I see a circus on TV, every time I’ve fallen and scraped my knee, every time I’ve sat in my room crying over the parents and circus I was forced to leave. All I’ve ever wanted was to hold them again.

Gasps echo from outside the car and I distantly register Mom and Dad sending teary eyed smiles and waves to the heroes watching us before they shut the door the same way I opened it minutes before. In seconds we’re united again and even though I know they’re just spirits and their touch is ice cold, warm tingles run through my body when they hug me and kiss my face, wiping the tears away.

I can’t speak through the knot in my throat, but that doesn’t matter anymore. We’ll have the next few hours at least to stay in this perfect moment, pretending it’s just another day on the train talking away the miles to our next destination, laughing about our fellow circus folk, and being a complete family. It doesn’t matter that Mom and Dad might move on after this or that the superheroes outside are going to get restless soon enough and drag us away.

As long as we can have this moment, I’ll be satisfied.

***

_What would you think of me now, so lucky, so strong, so proud?_

_I never said thank you for that, now I’ll never have a chance._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to that Jimmy Eat World song and instantly thought of this story. I’ll admit I shed a few tears while doing this chapter and hopefully it has the same affect on you guys ;)
> 
> I have this little head-canon that Danny has been able to communicate with spirits since he was a little kid and he had some crazy misadventures in the circus because of this. I’ll probably write about it later and post it as its own story/one-shot.
> 
> By the way, I don’t own Danny Phantom, Teen Titans, any of the Justice League, or the song. I do own this picture that I drew for this story that you can find on DeviantArt (http:// mandolindoodler .deviantart .com/ art/ Circus-Secrets-471117680).

**Author's Note:**

> As mentioned before, I imagined this situation happening in my "Humming" universe. You can read the current version of that story on Fanfiction.net. I'm working on rewriting/finishing it right now. As I get chapters revised, I'll post them on this site if you want to follow it directly from here, otherwise I will also update the FF version.
> 
> Leave comments! Feedback keeps me motivated!


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